Resilient tube to plate connection



Nov. 25, 1958 J. H. ANDERSON- 2,361,820

RESILIENT TUBE TO PLATE CONNECTION Filed Feb. e, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

fickFfWexmv ATTORNEY United States Patent '0 1 Claim. (Cl. 285-189) Thisinvention relates to fasteners and more particularly to tube and plateassemblies in each of which a tube is to be held with one end abutting asupport plate. In instruments for use on the instrument panel of anautomobile, it is conventional practice to employ illuminating devicesso that indicating symbols or colors may be easily and attractivelydiscernable. This has often necessitated the localizing of light bymeans of a tube which serves to guide or direct the light beams from anopening in a plate to a restricted area forming a lens, dial or otherportion of an instrument.

In the rapid assembly of such devices the light directing tubes must beplaced quickly and effectively in retained positions on the plates. Inthe past it has been the practice to provide a given plate with fourprongs which extend outwardly from the plate and which are inclinedslightly from a normal to the plate whereby when a tube end is slippedover the prongs, frictional contact between the ends of the prongs andthe tube Wall will hold the tube in its proper position. With such anassembly the method for placing the parts together necessarily consistsin temporarily restraining the prongs against their resiliency so thatthe tube may be slipped over them. Release of the prongs then causestheir positive engagement with the inside surface of the tube. Not onlymust the prongs be restrained properly to receive the tube, but the tubemust be placed over the prongs carefully. In quantity production it maybe that the prongs are not sufficiently restrained or the tube is notaccurately placed over the prongs. In either event the tube, especiallyif it i made of paper, is easily mashed or unduly distorted by contactwith one or more of the prongs and the end product is not assatisfactory as would be desirable.

It has now been found as a result of the present invention that thespeed of assembly may be greatly increased with a considerable saving incosts and each tube may be held to a plate more rigidly than heretoforeand with a great reduction in the possibility of distorting or tearingthe tube material.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fasteningfor a tube and plate assembly. Another object of the invention is toprovide an improved tube and plate assembly in which a tube end is heldin rigid and abutting relation with a plate.

To these ends, a feature of the present invention is a supporting memberhaving prongs extending from one side thereof and lying in substantiallyparallel planes, each prong having oppositely directed projectionsarranged to engage the inside surface of a tube. Another feature is afastening comprising T-shaped prongs with corner portions and slopingedges for engaging a tube when forming an assembly. Another feature is atube and plate assembly in which flat prongs extend from a plate and areprovided with diverging corner portions gripping the inside wall surfaceof a tube.

These and other important features of the invention will now bedescribed in detail in the specification and 2,861,820 Patented Nov. 25,1958 then pointed out more particularly in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a tube and plate assembly constituting oneembodiment of the present. invention and the tube being shown in sectionbetter to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 2 is a view in section and taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a fastener and tube aligned forassembly as a unit.

In the drawings, a supporting member or plate 10 having an opening 12therein is illustrated without the accompanying parts of an instrument.For directing light beams in many forms of installations an electriclight bulb, not shown in the drawings, is so mounted that its curvedglass portion extends into the opening 12 with its socket on the side ofthe plate opposite that on which a tube 14 is held. The tube 14 isprovided with one end held in abutting relation to the plate 10 andsurrounding the opening 12 so that light beams from the bulb may beguided from the opening 12 and through the tube 14 to a dial or otherportion of an instrument upon which the light is to be localized.

Formed integral with the metal plate 10 and at the opposite sides of theopening 12 are two prongs 16 and 18. These project from one side 20 ofthe plate 10 and are T-shaped. These prongs are similar in constructionwith one end of each prong being substantially triangular in shape withcorner portions 20 and 22 spaced from the side 20 and a curved portion24 for first engaging the tube 14, as will further appear. The cornerportions of the two prongs 16 and 18 are annularly spaced in such a wayas properly to grip the inside surface 26 of the tube 14 after assemblyhas taken place.

In forming the assembly, the tube 14 is held between the fingers, asshown in Fig. 3, or by other means, and distorted slightly from thecylindrical form so that the tube may be easily slipped over the tubeprongs 16 and 18 until the end of the tube abuts the plate 10. Releaseof the tube then causes the latter to regain its normal cylindricalconfiguration and the proportions of the tube and prongs, a well as thespacing of the prongs, are such that the corners on the prongs grip theinside surface of the tube and rigidly hold the latter in position onthe plate. The corners 20 and 22 imbed themselves to a slight extent inthe tube material giving a firm attachment.

The curved end 24 of a given prong is not essential but it is preferredas it minimizes the possibility of ma hing the tube material in theevent that the tube is inaccurately placed on the prongs. The slope ofthe sides on each prong is such as to aid in the alignment of the tubewith the prongs as well as with the opening 12. The prongs may be veryrigid in construction as no preliminary distortion of the same isnecessary for making the assembly. It is to be understood that eitherthe tube or the prongs or only the prongs may be made resilient for thepurpose of practicing the invention. If the tube is not distorted, as inFig. 3, the sloping sides of each prong may serve as piloting means inbringing the parts into proper alignment. In such an event, more thantwo prongs may be used in a given assembly although two prongs have beenfound to be adequate in practice.

It will be appreciated that fasteners or assemblies of the type hereindisclosed may have a wide variety of uses and need not be associatedwith or limited to the instrument field.

I claim:

A tube and plate assembly for directing light beams comprising asupporting plate having an opening therein for the passage of said beamsthrough said plate, a single pair of substantially flat prongs integralwith said plate and bodily lying in substantially parallel planesextending substantially'normal to one surface of said plate and atopposite sides of said opening, each of said prongs haying outen edgesdiverging towardv said plate, aid,

edges terminating in oppositely directed, corner portions that arespaeed from said plate, and a flexible cylindrical tube, positioned withone endtabutting said plate around said; opening and. with said cornerportions of said prongs gripping the inner surface of said tube to maintain said tube invposition, the spacing of aid prongs being such that thecorner portionsof said prongs imbed themselves in the inner surface ofsaid tube when said tube is in its normal: undistorted form but permitthe passage of said tube over said prongs and into position when saidtube is distorted and'expanded' along a line between said prongs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,051,427. McCluskey Jan. 28, 1913 1,800,173 Anderson Apr. 7', 19312,409,508 Miller Oct. 15, 1946 2,531,911 Johnson Nov. 28, 1950 2,623,431Scheurmann Dec. 30, 1952 2,727,762 Ziegler Dec. 20, 1955

